Strings Attached

~Chapter 3~

"Why don't you come back from the Isha prayers dad, and I'll tell you both at once?" "Sounds a good idea to me," he says, and ruffling my hair, he gets up to prepare for the last prayer of the day. "But, mind you. If there's a boy involved, I wouldn't hesitate calling Amir over here to break his bones first. He can speak for himself later." I chuckle at his statement. "Thanks for the concern dad, but there's no boy involved." "Good."

"When Abba comes home from namaz, I'm just finishing mine. I yank off the large dupatta from over my head, and folding the prayer mat, race down the stairs. Finally, at about 9 o'clock, everyone is sat around the table to eat dinner. And I break the news then and there.

"Abba, Amma, I've been selected for the exchange program." There's a long pause as they watch me with astounded expressions upon their faces. And then there is a chorus of a surprised 'Masha Allah' from them all. "And... for that... I have to go to Europe for one year."

"Absolutely not!" "No way!" they both shout almost at the same instant. What? I didn't see that coming?! I had an inkling mum would refuse, but dad too? "But, Abba. I got selected!" I try to make them realize what that means, stressing on the word 'selected'. 

"I know child. But it is thoroughly impossible for you to go. I'm sorry." He has a sympathetic expression on his face that's starting to grate on my nerves. "But, I'm one of only a few students who've been given the chance to go there! Doesn't that matter to any of you at all?" "She's right, Abba. Not a lot of people are lucky to get selected. Even I'd taken the test," Raafiah speaks up. And I make a mental note to thank her later.

"You keep your mouth shut," mum says sternly. "No one's going anywhere, Hidayah. And that's final. No need for you get into such a frenzy over it." "But that's ridiculous! I've been dreaming of this for all my life!! I can't let such an opportunity pass as this one!!!" "It doesn't matter. You're not going." "But why?!" "What do you mean why? Do you have any idea how you'll survive or where you'll live?? And the degree with which you spend, we'll go bankrupt by the time you get back. It's not like you have anybody waiting for you there either." Funny, she said that.

"Your father doesn't even know anybody close living there who might be willing to take you in." At that, dad throws a tentative look at mum which she purposely ignores. "Besides, you haven't even gone to the next city by yourself. If it'd been somewhere within the country, we'd have let you go. But, going abroad is out of the question. Not to forget all that it will cost to send you there," she goes on. "They'll finance all of my expenses for boarding, stationery, books and all that I'd need. That's a part of the scholarship. You just have to pay fifty percent of my fees," I exasperatedly inform them, as a last resort.

"You're still very small to go by your own, child," dad tells me softly, as if expecting me to crack up any minute. And I assure you, I'm not too far. "How could you even entertain the thought? You know very well how you can't even go to the nearest mall on your own," mum starts screeching again. At this rate, I think I'll crack up much before I'd expected to. "You have a crucial year ahead of you. Study well, and concentrate on getting better marks than last year."

"I got very good marks last year, for your information. I wanna go and I will go!" "No need to shout, young lady. You are not going!" Mum glares at me with her eyes on fire. I look for help towards dad. "Dad! Please, just let me go. I've always dreamed of studying abroad. I'll make you proud, I promise," I tell him with a pleading look in my eyes. "It's not like I'd die over there. There are only humans there, just like us."